oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第38章

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proudly。　

“Of　course；”　observed　Mr　Grimwig；　aside　to　his　friend；　“I　knew　
he　was。　A　beadle　all　over！”　

Mr　Brownlow　gently　shook　his　head　to　impose　silence　on　his　
friend；　and　resumed：　

“Do　you　know　where　this　poor　boy　is　now？”　

“No　more　than　nobody；”　replied　Mr。　Bumble。　

“Well；　what　do　you　know　of　him？”　inquired　the　old　gentleman。　
“Speak　out；　my　friend；　if　you　have　anything　to　say。　What　do　you　
know　of　him？”　

“You　don’t　happen　to　know　any　good　of　him；　do　you？”　said　Mr。　
Grimwig　caustically；　after　an　attentive　perusal　of　Mr。　Bumble’s　
features。　

Mr。　Bumble；　catching　at　the　inquiry　very　quickly；　shook　his　
head　with　portentous　solemnity。　

You　see？”　said　Mr。　Grimwig；　looking　triumphantly　at　Mr。　
Brownlow。　

Mr。　Brownlow　looked　apprehensively　at　Mr。　Bumble’s　pursed…
up　countenance；　and　requested　him　to　communicate　what　he　
knew　regarding　Oliver；　in　as　few　words　as　possible。　

Mr。　Bumble　put　down　his　hat；　unbuttoned　his　coat；　folded　his　
arms；　inclined　his　head　in　a　retrospective　manner；　and；　after　a　few　
moments’　reflection；　commenced　his　story。　

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It　would　be　tedious　if　given　in　the　beadle’s　words；　occupying　as　
it　did；　some　twenty　minutes　in　the　telling；　but　the　sum　and　
substance　of　it　was；　That　Oliver　was　a　foundling；　born　of　low　and　
vicious　parents。　That　he　had；　from　his　birth；　displayed　no　better　
qualities　than　treachery；　ingratitude；　and　malice。　That　he　had　
terminated　his　brief　career　in　the　place　of　his　birth；　by　making　a　
sanguinary　and　cowardly　attack　on　an　unoffending　lad；　and　
running　away　in　the　night…time　from　his　master’s　house。　In　proof　
of　his　really　being　the　person　he　represented　himself；　Mr。　Bumble　
laid　upon　the　table　the　papers　he　had　brought　to　town；　and　folding　
his　arms　again；　awaited　Mr。　Brownlow’s　observations。　

“I　fear　it　is　all　too　true；”　said　the　old　gentleman　sorrowfully；　
after　looking　over　the　papers。　“This　is　not　much　for　your　
intelligence；　but　I　would　gladly　have　given　you　treble　the　money；　if　
it　had　been　favourable　to　the　boy。”　

It　is　not　improbable　that　if　Mr。　Bumble　had　been　possessed　of　
this　information　at　an　earlier　period　of　the　interview；　he　might　
have　imparted　a　very　different　colouring　to　his　little　history。　It　was　
too　late　to　do　it　now；　however；　so　he　shook　his　head　gravely；　and；　
pocketing　the　five　guineas；　withdrew。　

Mr。　Brownlow　paced　the　room　to　and　fro　for　some　minutes；　
evidently　so　much　disturbed　by　the　beadle’s　tale；　that　even　Mr。　
Grimwig　forbore　to　vex　him　further。　

At　length　he　stopped；　and　rang　the　bell　violently。　

“Mrs。　Bedwin；”　said　Mr。　Brownlow；　when　the　housekeeper　
appeared；　“that　boy；　Oliver；　is　an　impostor。”　

“It　can’t　be；　sir。　It　cannot　be；”　said　the　old　lady　energetically。　

“I　tell　you　he　is；”　retorted　the　old　gentleman。　“What　do　you　
mean　by　can’t　be？　We　have　just　heard　a　full　account　of　him　from　

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his　birth；　and　he　has　been　a　thorough…paced　little　villain；　all　his　

life。”　

“I　never　will　believe　it；　sir；”　replied　the　old　lady　firmly。　“Never！”　

“You　old　women　never　believe　anything　but　quack…doctors；　and　
lying　story…books；”　growled　Mr。　Grimwig。　“I　knew　it　all　along。　Why　
didn’t　you　take　my　advice　in　the　beginning；　you　would；　if　he　hadn’t　
had　a　fever；　I　suppose；　eh？　He　was　interesting；　wasn’t　he？　
Interesting！　Bah！”　And　Mr。　Grimwig　poked　the　fire　with　a　flourish。　

“He　was　a　dear；　grateful；　gentle　child；　sir；”　retorted　Mrs。　
Bedwin　indignantly。　“I　know　what　children　are；　sir；　and　have　done　
these　forty　years；　and　people　who　can’t　say　the　same；　shouldn’t　say　
anything　about　them。　That’s　my　opinion！”　

This　was　a　hard　hit　at　Mr。　Grimwig；　who　was　a　bachelor。　As　it　
extorted　nothing　from　that　gentleman　but　a　smile；　the　old　lady　
tossed　her　head；　and　smoothed　down　her　apron　preparatory　to　
another　speech；　when　she　was　stopped　by　Mr。　Brownlow。　

“Silence！”　said　the　old　gentleman；　feigning　an　anger　he　was　far　
from　feeling。　“Never　let　me　hear　the　boy’s　name　again。　I　rang　to　
tell　you　that。　Never。　Never；　on　any　pretence；　mind！　You　may　leave　
the　room；　Mrs。　Bedwin。　Remember！　I　am　in　earnest。”　

There　were　sad　hearts　at　Mr。　Brownlow’s　that　night。　

Oliver’s　heart　sank　within　him；　when　he　thought　of　his　good　
kind　friends；　it　was　well　for　him　that　he　could　not　know　what　they　
had　heard；　or　it　might　have　broken　outright。　

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Chapter　18　

How　Oliver　Passed　His　Time　In　The　Improving
Society　Of　His　Reputable　Friends。


About　noon　next　day；　when　the　Dodger　and　Master　Bates　
had　gone　out　to　pursue　their　customary　avocations；　Mr。　
Fagin　took　the　opportunity　of　reading　Oliver　a　long　
lecture　on　the　crying　sin　of　ingratitude；　of　which　he　clearly　
demonstrated　he　had　been　guilty；　to　no　ordinary　extent；　in　wilfully　
absenting　himself　from　the　society　of　his　anxious　friends；　and；　still　
more；　in　endeavouring　to　escape　from　them　after　so　much　trouble　
and　expense　had　been　incurred　in　his　recovery。　Mr。　Fagin　laid　
great　stress　on　the　fact　of　his　having　taken　Oliver　in；　and　cherished　
him；　when；　without　his　timely　aid；　he　might　have　perished　with　
hunger；　and　he　related　the　dismal　and　affecting　history　of　a　young　
lad　whom；　in　his　philanthropy；　he　had　succoured　under　parallel　
circumstances；　but　who；　proving　unworthy　of　his　confidence　and　
evincing　a　desire　to　communicate　with　the　police；　had　
unfortunately　come　to　be　hanged　at　the　Old　Bailey　one　morning。　
Mr。　Fagin　did　not　seek　to　conceal　his　share　in　the　catastrophe；　but　
lamented；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　that　the　wrong…headed　and　
treacherous　behaviour　of　the　young　person　in　question；　had　
rendered　it　necessary　that　he　should　become　the　victim　of　certain　
evidence　for　the　Crown；　which；　if　it　were　not　precisely　true；　was　
indispensably　necessary　for　the　safety　of　him　（Mr。　Fagin）　and　a　
few　select　friends。　Mr。　Fagin　concluded　by　drawing　a　rather　
disagreeable　picture　of　the　discomforts　of　hanging；　and；　with　great　

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friendliness　and　politeness　of　manner；　expressed　his　anxious　
hopes　that　he　might　never　be　obliged　to　submit　Oliver　Twist　to　
that　unpleasant　operation。　

Little　Oliver’s　blood　ran　cold；　as　he　listened　to　the　Jew’s　words；　
and　imperfectly　comprehended　the　dark　threats　conveyed　in　
them。　That　it　was　possible　even　for　justice　itself　to　confound　the　
innocent　with　the　guilty　when　they　were　in　accidental　
companionship；　he　knew　already；　and　that　deeply…laid　plans　for　
the　destruction　of　inconveniently　knowing　or　over…communicative　
persons；　had　been　really　devised　and　carried　out　by　the　old　Jew　on　
more　occasions　than　one；　he　thought　by　no　means　unlikely；　when　
he　recollected　the　general　nature　of　the　altercations　between　that　
gentleman　and　Mr。　Sikes：　which　seemed　to　bear　reference　to　some　
foregone　conspiracy　of　the　kind。　As　he　glanced　timidly　up；　and　met　
the　Jew’s　searching　look；　he　felt　that　his　pale　face　and　trembling　
limbs　were　neither　unnoticed　nor　unrelished　by　that　wary　old　
gentleman。　

The　Jew　smiled　hideously；　and　patting　Oliver　on　the　head；　said；　
that　if　he　kept　himself　quiet；　and　applied　himself　to　business；　he　
saw　they　would　be　very　good　friends　yet。　Then；　taking　his　hat；　and　
covering　himself　with　an　old　patched　greatcoat；　he　went　out；　and　
locked　the　room　door　behind　him。　

And　so　Oliver　remained　all　that　day；　and　for　the　greater　part　of　
many　subsequent　days；　seeing　nobody；　between　early　morning　
and　midnight；　and　left　during　the　long　hours　to　commune　with　his　
own　thoughts：　which；　never　failing　to　revert　to　his　kind　friends；　
and　the　opinion　they　must　long　ago　have　formed　of　him；　were　sad　
indeed。　

After　the　lapse　of　a　week　or　so；　the　Jew　left　the　room　door　

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unlocked；　and　he　was　at　liberty　to　wander　about　the　house。　

It　was　a　very　dirty　place。　The　rooms　upstairs　had　great　high　
wooden　chimney…pieces　and　large　doors；　with　panelled　walls；　and　
cornices　to